Tension device



p 1945- v w. o. SJOGREN 2,384,650

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Sept. 11, 1945. w. o. SJOGREN 2,384,650

TENSION DEVICE Filed Jan. 29., 1945 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 621NVENT0R.

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Patented Sept. 11, 1945 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,384,650 TENSION DEVICE Walter 0. Sjogren, Worcester, Mass.

Application January 29, 1945, Serial No. 575,009 15 Claims. (01. 242-75) This invention relates to a device'for applying tension to covering material in strip form as it is wound on a rotating roll or cylinder. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for tensioning a strip of card clothing as it is wound helically on a roll or. cylinder of a textile carding machine or other similar machine. Such card clothing is applied under a heavy tension which may run as high as 600 lbs., and for satisfactory results this tension must be accurately and uniformly maintained.

The general object of my invention is to provide a device by which a predetermined tension may be easily applied to a piece of strip material, such as card clothing, during a roll-covering operation, and by which device the tension may be readily adjusted and uniformly maintained.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tension device which may be readily mounted on a commercial carding machine. I have also provided an improved device by which the card clothing or other strip material may be easily guided and controlled during the winding or covering operation.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved covering machine;

Figs. 2 and 3 are partial side elevations, looking in the direction of the arrows 2 and 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4' is a detail sectional elevation, taken along the line 44 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the device, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the operation of my device in a roll-covering operation; and

Fig. 7 is a detail end elevation of a guiding device, looking in the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 6, my improved tension device T is shown in relation to a roll or cylinder C to which a strip S of card clothing is being applied. The tension device T is loosely mounted on a roll or pipe 10 secured in brackets I2 which may be mounted on any suitable fixed support I4. The support I4 is preferably a part of the machine in which the cylinder C is mounted and rotated, such as the frame of a carding machine.

The tension device T is provided with rolls l5 to be described, which rolls engage the pressure side of the pipe l0 and permit the tension device to shift easily axially of the pipe I0 and cylinder C as the covering operation proceeds. otal mounting of the tension device T on the pipe l0 permits the: tensiondevice to turn relatively to'the pipe to align itself with the direction of 'pull of the strip S as it is Wound on to the cylinder C.

A manual guiding device (Figs. 6 and '7) may be interposed between the tension device T and the cylinder C for controlling the strip S and guiding it accurately to the cylinder. This guiding device comprises a body 2| having a longitudinal'recess 22 to loosely receive the strip S, andhaving a cover plate 23 mounted on dowels 24 and yieldingly retained in position by springs 25 on headed screw studs 26. The guide 20 may be conveniently-manipulated by a handle 21.

By use of the guide 20, the strip S may be crowded axially of the cylinder C to insure close winding, and the strip may also be twisted or angularly displaced to insure closeand accurate engagement of the strip with the cylinder. Preferably the holder is provided with an car 28 which may be connected by a short chain or cord 29 (Fig. 1) to a screw-eye 30 fixed in a bail 3| at the delivery end of the tension device. With this flexible connection, the guide 20 will be automatically held in longitudinally spaced relation to the tension device T and the friction of the strip S passing therethrough need not be resisted by the operator. I

I will now describe the details of construction of the tension device T. Thi device comprises side plates and 4! (Fig. 1) connected by fixed friction members 42 and 43. The member 42 is atthe entrance end of the tension device, and the friction surface of the member 42 is partly cylindrical and partly conical, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. Thestrip S may thus be guided to make a full turn around the friction device 42, and at the same time the strip S may be displaced sidewise so that the approachin and delivery portions of the strip cannot engage.

The friction member 43 is similarly provided With a friction surface which is in part semiplates 4| and respectively.

A heavy coil spring normally seats the slid- The pivable friction member 45 against the lower ends of the recesses 41 and 48, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 5. The card clothing or other covering strip S makes a full turn around the friction members 43 and 45 as shown in Fig. 6, and the strip S is simultaneously offset sidewise, so that the delivery portion of the strip is aligned with the portion supplied to the friction device 42.

A friction plate 60 (Figs. 1 and 2) is loosely mounted in a bracket 6| fixed to the side plate 4!. The bracket 6! is recessed longitudinally as shown at 62 in Fig. 4 to receive the strip S and cover plate 60, and the plate 60 is held from 1on gitudinal displacement by a lug 63 (Fig. projecting laterally through an opening 64 in the outer flange of the bracket 6|. Any desired pressure may be applied to the plate 60 by means of a screw 65 and hand wheel 66. i

The side plates 40 and 4| are providedwith openings 10 (Fig. 5) to loosely receive the supporting pipe I-O previously described; and the rolls l5 are mounted in blocks 12 (Fig. 1) slidable in casing members 13 fixed to the sideplates 4!! and 4|. Adjusting screws may be used to accurately engage the rolls I 5 with the pipe Ill.

Guiding lugs or flanges 15 (Fig. 1) are provided on the friction members 42, 43 and 45 to separate the parallel runs of the strip S and to prevent engagement thereof with each other. An index 80 (Figs. 1 and 3) is mounted on one end of the movable'friction" member 45 and coacts with graduations Bl (Fig. 1) to indicate the amount of compression of the spring 50 and hence the total tension applied to the strip of card clothing or other covering-material.

Having described the details of construction of my improved tension device, the operation thereof is as follows:

The strip S is threaded through the machine as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 6 and is then conducted through the guide member to the cylinder C, to which the free end of the strip is firmly secured. The friction plate 60 is then placed in position as shown in Fig. 4 and pressure is applied by means of the hand wheel 66. When the cylinder C is then rotated, the strip S will be pulled through the tension device and any desired tension may be applied to the strip by tightening the cover plate 50 against the upper surface of the strip.

The pressure of the plate on the strip need not, however, be very large, as the grip of the strip around the friction members 42, 43 and 45 is similar to the grip of a rope on a capstan and is greatly in excess of the pressure applied to the strip.

As the tensioned strip is pulled through the device, the slidable friction member 45 will move upward (as viewed in Fig. 1) against the pressure of the spring 50 to an extent corresponding to the tension which is being applied. 7 This tension will be indicated by the index 80 coacting with the graduations 8|.

For any given friction applied by the plate 60, the friction member 45 and index 80 will quickly assume a corresponding and uniformly maintained position, provided the winding speed is also maintained substantially uniform. By tightening the screw 65 by the hand wheel 66, the tension may-be increased as desired up to a; maximum amount of 600 lbs. or more as is required in certain covering operations. As the covering proceeds, the tension device will shift axially along the pipe ID to keep the tension comprises first and second tension members each encircled by said strip material, said first memher being effective to displace said strip material laterally in one direction and said second member being effective to displace said strip material laterally in the opposite direction, whereby the supply and delivery portions of said strip material are aligned, and means to apply friction to said strip material as it approaches said first tension member.

2. A device for tensioning strip material which comprises first and second tension members each encircled by said strip material, each of said members having adjacent cylindrical and frustroconical surface portions with which the strip material engages, and means to apply friction to said strip material as it approaches the first tension member.

3. A device for tensioning strip material which comprises first and second tension members each encircled by said strip material, each of said members having adjacent cylindrical and frustroconical surface portions with which the strip material engages and by which said material is displaced laterally in one direction at one of said tension members and in the opposite direction to original alignment at the other tension member, and means to apply friction to said strip material as it approaches the first tension member.

4. In a tension device for strip material, means to apply a retarding force to a portion of said material and to simultaneously displace said material laterally, means to apply a second retarding force to said strip material and to simultaneously displace said material in the opposite direction to its original alignment, and means to apply controlled friction to said strip material as it approaches said first retarding means.

5. A device for tensioning strip material which comprises first and second tension members about each of which said strip material is drawn, each of said members having adjacent cylindrical and frustro-conical surface portions with which the strip material engages, means to apply friction to said strip material as it approaches the first tension member, and means to measure and indicate the tension on said strip material as it is drawn from the second tension member.

6. A device for tensioning strip material which comprises first and second tension members about each of which said strip material is drawn, each of said members having adjacent cylindrical and frustro-conical surface portions with which the strip material engages, one of said tension members comprising two parts normally spaced substantially'apart and with one part movably mounted, a heavy compression spring interposed between said parts and yieldingly forcing said parts away from each other, and means to apply rfriction to said strip material as it approaches the first tension member.

7. .A device for tensioning strip material which comprises first and second tension members about each of which said strip material is drawn, each of said members having adjacent cylindrical and frustro-conical surface portions with which the strip material engages, one of said members being unitary and the other member comprising two parts normally spaced substantially apart and with one part movably mounted, a heavy compression spring interposed between said separable parts and. yieldingly forcing said parts away from each other, means to limit the separation, means to apply friction to said strip material as it approaches the first tension member, .and means to indicate the compression of said spring.

8. In a tension device for strip material, a tension member comprising a cylindrical surface portion and a frustro-conical surface portion by which said material is simultaneously tensioned and laterally displaced as it encircles said memher.

9. In a tension device for strip material, a tension member comprising a cylindrical surface portion and a frustro-conical surface portion lby which said material is simultaneously tensioned and laterally displaced as it encircles said memher, and a segmental guiding flange separating portions of said cylindrical and conical surface portions.

10, In a tension device, a tension member comprising a fixed segmental element, a second segmental element mounted for movement toward and from said fixed element, each of said elements having a segmental cylindrical surface portion and an adjacent segmental frustro-conical surface portion, and means to yieldingly and normally separate said segmental elements.

11. In a tension device, a tension member comprising a fixed segmental element, a second se mental element mounted for movement toward and from said fixed element, each of said elements having a segmental cylindrical surface portion and an adjacent segmental frustro-conical surface portion, a heavy compression spring interposed between and normally separating said elements, and means to indicate the relative approach of said elements.

12. A tension device for strip material comprising a structure by which said material is tensioned, a fixed longitudinally extending support on which said structure is pivotally mounted, and means providing free axial movement of said structure on said support.

13. Means for applying retarding tension to strip material in a roll-covering operation comprising a tension device mounted for free pivotal movement and for free movement longitudinally of said roll, and means to apply controlled tension to said strip material as it is drawn through said tension device.

14. Means for applying retarding tension to strip material in a roll-covering operation comprising a tension device mounted for free pivotal movement and for free movement longitudinally of said roll, successive tension members in said tension device each encircled by said strip material and each operative after the manner of a capstan to apply heavy tension to said strip material as it is drawn around said members, and means to apply a, retarding force to said strip material as it approaches said tension device.

15. A tension means for strip material comprising a tension device mounted for free pivotal movement and for free movement transversely of said strip material, a manually operated guiding device for said strip material, and means to maintain said guiding device at a predetermined difstance from said tension device along the delivery path of said strip material.

WALTER O. SJOGREN. 

